With the arrival of the Investec Cape Town Art Fair and International Public Arts Festival, February is a busy time for Cape Town’s creative industries. But this month will also see the doors open on a remarkable retrospective of works by celebrated Ndebele artist Dr. Esther Mahlangu.
Hosted at the Iziko South African National Gallery alongside the Company Gardens, the exhibition – ‘Then I Knew I Was Good at Painting: Esther Mahlangu, A Retrospective’ – celebrates the 50-year career of this influential artist.
Mahlangu began her artistic training in the 1940s, drawing and painting on the outside walls of her family home alongside her mother and grandmother. Though often scolded by her elders she continued to hone her technical skills and signature style.
Her work draws on traditional Ndebele wall paintings and beadwork, but her artistry has found expression from sculpture to ceramics to found objects. The retrospective features more than 100 artworks on loan from international collections, carefully curated together with historic photographs and a short film to offer a comprehensive yet intimate insight into her vast and vibrant career.
‘Mahlangu’s journey is a testament to passion, innovation, and resilience,’ says curator Nontobeko Ntombela. ‘The retrospective pays homage to Esther Mahlangu's unique approach to art, which intersects African cultures with modernity and the contemporary. The exhibition celebrates Mahlangu’s voice, agency, and pioneering spirit.’
A highlight of the exhibition for many visitors will be the rare opportunity to view Mahlangu’s BMW 525i Art Car.
In 1991 Mahlangu became the first woman – and first African – to be invited to participate in the prestigious BMW Art Car Collection, and this exhibition marks the first time in more than 30 years that the car has been displayed in South Africa.
‘Then I Knew I Was Good at Painting: Esther Mahlangu, A Retrospective’ opens to the public on February 18, 2024 and will be on show until August 11, 2024, when the collection begins a global tour taking in Johannesburg and the United States.
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